Congressman’s Plane Dies Mid-Air, Emergency Water Landing

A small plane lost power at night over Lake Wausau, and two men swam for their lives.

Story Snapshot

Rep. Tom Tiffany says his plane lost power near Wausau and ditched in Lake Wausau.
Tiffany and the pilot called 911, exited as it sank, and swam to shallow water.
Both were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital, officials said.
Water landings often spare lives, but drowning risk rises fast after touchdown.

Power Loss, Cold Water, And A Swim To Shore

Rep. Tom Tiffany said the small plane he was aboard lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport late Saturday. The pilot aimed for Lake Wausau and landed on the water. Tiffany said they called 911, got out as the plane began to sink, and swam toward shallows in the dark. Emergency crews pulled them from the water and took them to a hospital. Medical staff treated both for minor injuries and released them.

Local outlets reported the aircraft was a four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza, a popular single-engine model. Campaign aides said the team was returning from a Republican dinner in La Crosse. The landing spot sits a short distance from the intended runway at the city airport. The sequence Tiffany shared matched standard ditching steps: keep wings level, lower speed, and hold the nose just high enough to stay flyable until contact.

Why A Water Landing Can Save Your Life

Aviation safety records show that water landings, called ditchings, can be highly survivable when the airplane stays intact and the crew keeps control. Research cited by Smithsonian’s Air and Space suggests most deaths after ditchings result from drowning or exposure, not the impact. That risk curve explains Tiffany’s account of getting out fast, calling 911, and swimming. The window to act is short if the cabin floods or cold shock sets in. Speed, flotation, and simple gear can decide outcomes.

Federal crash files include many cases where pilots faced sudden engine roughness or a full loss of power and chose water to protect people on board. The National Transportation Safety Board has logged events where pilots held control to the end and set down near shore, which raised survival odds for everyone. That playbook favors calm hands, a steady descent, and a clear plan to exit. Tiffany’s version of events fits that pattern and helps explain the minor injuries.

The Minutes That Matter Most

First responders in Marathon County train for cold-water pulls because the clock is ruthless. A person can lose useful movement within minutes in chilly water. That is why Tiffany’s call to 911 from the water mattered. Dispatchers can lock rescue boats on a heading and cut loss time. Local reports indicate responders moved fast enough to prevent hypothermia or worse, which tracks with the outcome at the hospital. Quick skill by the pilot started the save; local crews finished it.

Tom Tiffany on his place forced to make an emergency water landing last night: “After landing, we called 911. As the plane began to submerge, we exited the aircraft and swam to a shallow area, where we waited until emergency responders reached us by boat.” pic.twitter.com/L1Tm2u4T5g

— Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) September 13, 2026

Voters will hear plenty about grit, gratitude, and faith after a scare like this. Those notes fit. But the quiet hero in many of these stories is procedure. Pilots practice engine-out drills for years so their hands can do the right thing under stress. Communities invest in rescue teams so a midnight call ends in dry clothes, not a dive recovery. That mix of personal duty and public readiness is common sense in action, and it worked here.