Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany survived an emergency plane landing on Lake Wausau late Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, after the single-engine aircraft lost power during its final approach. Tiffany and the pilot escaped the sinking wreckage, swam to shallow water, and were rescued after a brief, dark-of-night search.
A late-night emergency landing on a dark Wisconsin lake turned into a harrowing ordeal for U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who was returning from a political event when his flight encountered catastrophic engine trouble. The single-engine, four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft lost all power just as it lined up for its final approach to Wausau Downtown Airport on Saturday evening, forcing a sudden and perilous water landing on Lake Wausau.
Ten Seconds to Impact: How the Emergency Unfolded
Tiffany, Wisconsin’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, was traveling back from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner held in Onalaska when the aircraft failed on Saturday evening. Pilot Leonard Len
Boltz faced an immediate crisis in the cockpit.
“Len said to me, ‘We are going down. Pull your seatbelt tight,’” Tiffany recalled during a news conference. “And that’s exactly what I did. I gave it a yank and pulled it good and tight.”
Tom Tiffany, U.S. Rep. and Gubernatorial Candidate
Roughly ten seconds after that warning, the aircraft slammed into the water according to reporting by the Associated Press. The violent impact drove Tiffany’s head into the dashboard, leaving him with a gash above his right eye that later required 12 stitches. Boltz sustained injuries requiring four stitches.
A Desperate Search Across a Dark Lake
As the aircraft began taking on water and slipping beneath the surface, dispatch audio captured a chaotic and urgent emergency response. First responders raced toward multiple points along Lake Wausau, unsure of where the wreckage had settled. Deputies utilized thermal-imaging equipment and tracked the last known GPS coordinates of a submerged mobile phone while a local landowner provided a boat to help deputies navigate the dark water.
Both men initially searched the sinking cockpit, but Tiffany could not find his phone. Boltz managed to hold onto his device, placing a 911 call while standing on top of the aircraft as it slowly submerged. The two men then began swimming toward the shore.
“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,”
Tom Tiffany, U.S. Rep., via X
They swam roughly 100 to 150 feet until Tiffany reached a raised, shallow sandbar or underwater high point where the water depth dropped to about five feet. Spotting incoming sirens, they decided to stay put rather than risk swimming the remaining distance in the dark according to accounts shared at a press conference. Marathon County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Cory Gladden noted that the occupants spent about 20 minutes in the water before rescue boats located them just after 9 p.m.
Pilot Action and Regulatory Investigation
Tiffany openly credited Boltz’s quick thinking and background as a retired Air Force pilot trainer for preventing a far more lethal outcome.
Following their rescue, emergency crews transported both men to a local hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and released before speaking to the public. The single-engine plane remained submerged in the lake, prompting the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office to establish a no-wake buoy perimeter and advise local boaters to steer clear until recovery operations can begin.
Federal oversight agencies have already stepped in to examine the wreckage and mechanics of the flight. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the mechanical failure, with the NTSB coordinating its final level of involvement based on the FAA’s initial structural assessment of the damaged aircraft.
Political Reactions and Immediate Campaign Impact
As news of the crash spread across the state, political figures from opposing parties set aside political differences to offer support. David Crowley, the Democratic candidate running for governor against Tiffany, posted a message on X wishing his opponent a quick recovery and highlighting the pilot’s heroism.
During a Sunday news conference in downtown Wausau where he fought back tears while recounting the event, Tiffany confirmed that despite the physical toll and the lingering emotional gravity of the crash, the emergency will not impact his ongoing gubernatorial campaign.
