Engine Dies – Congressman Hits Water

A single failed engine over Lake Wausau turned a routine flight into a cold swim and a rescue.

Story Snapshot

Representative Tom Tiffany said his plane lost power near Wausau and ditched in Lake Wausau.
Tiffany and the pilot called 911, exited as the plane sank, and swam to shallow water.
Local outlets reported both suffered minor injuries and were treated at a hospital.
Water landings often spare lives; drowning after touchdown is the greater risk.

Power Loss, Cold Water, And A Fast Exit

Representative Tom Tiffany said the plane he rode in lost power while lining up for Wausau Downtown Airport late Saturday. He said the pilot aimed for Lake Wausau and set the aircraft down on the water. Tiffany said they called 911, felt the plane begin to sink, got out, and swam for shallow water. First responders took them to a hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries, according to local and national reports.

Wausau sits at a bend in the Wisconsin River, with Lake Wausau spread like a wide, flat runway. That geography likely gave the pilot one clear option when power faded and altitude fell. Pilots train for this moment: keep the wings level, lower speed to just above stall, and touch down with a slight nose-up attitude to avoid a violent flip. That technique buys time to escape before cold water and weight take the airplane under.

What Early Reports Confirm

Local station WSAW reported Tiffany suffered minor injuries after the water landing on Lake Wausau. The Boston Globe noted emergency crews transported both men to a nearby hospital. Radio affiliate reports said the four-seat aircraft, identified as a Bonanza in campaign comments, lost power on approach and went into the lake. Tiffany’s own account on social media gave the simplest timeline: power loss, water landing, 911 call, exit, and a swim to safety.

That chain of events fits a known pattern in small-aircraft incidents. When engines fail near the airport, pilots seek any flat, open surface. Water often beats trees, roads, or rooftops. The National Transportation Safety Board has investigated many “ditching” cases, which it treats as a distinct category. Investigators often list “loss of engine power for undetermined reasons” when evidence is limited, but the survival rate remains high when pilots execute the landing well.

Why Water Landings Often Save Lives

Studies collected by Smithsonian’s Air and Space point to a key truth. Most people who die after a water landing do so after touchdown, not during it. Drowning and exposure are the real threats once the airplane stops. That shifts focus from the hit to the escape. Time matters. Doors jam. Belts snag. Cold water stuns breathing. The best pilots coach passengers before impact, then move fast to daylight. Tiffany’s account suggests that playbook: get out early and head for the shallows.

Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany and his pilot swam to safety with minor injuries after their small plane lost power and made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau late Saturday night. https://t.co/Nogn1tpAV4

— The Heartland Post (@HeartlandPostWI) September 13, 2026

Conservative readers will see two pillars here: skill and service. The pilot did the job under pressure. Local police, fire, and emergency medical teams did theirs in the dark and cold. That is the compact Americans value. Keep your head, do your duty, help your neighbor, and thank the people who show up at the worst hour. Tiffany’s line “God was watching over us,” as echoed in coverage, lands because the facts support both grace and grit in the outcome.

Context In A Season Of Travel Scares

High-profile flight scares stack headlines. The plane carrying Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin diverted after an engine issue not long ago. A charter with Vice President JD Vance on board made a precautionary landing over a door seal problem. These episodes vary in cause and risk, but they share one theme. Crews train for the bad day, and that training pays off when machines do what machines sometimes do: fail.