A REPUBLICAN governor candidate has been injured after his plane was forced to make an emergency landing in a lake on Saturday night.
Wisconsin Representative Tom Tiffany was forced to swim from the sinking aircraft with his pilot on Saturday night before being rescued in Lake Wausau.
He confirmed on social media that both he and the pilot sustained minor injuries in the incident that occurred on his way home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner.
“The plane I was traveling in lost power as we approached the Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau,” he wrote.
“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.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, and all of the first responders who came to our aid so quickly.”
The pair were the only occupants of the four-seat Bonanza aircraft and both were taken to Aspirus Wausau Hospital for treatment.
“God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side,” the congressman added.
“An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.”
The cause of the loss of power is under investigation.
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