WAUSAU, Wis. — Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany is undeterred from the campaign trail after a small plane he was traveling in lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau on Saturday night.
“I signed up for this job, we’re going to finish the job,” the U.S. congressman said during an emotional press conference on Sunday, Sept. 13.
Pilot Leonard Boltz was forced to make an emergency water landing after the four-seat Beechcraft K35 lost power just as they were approaching the Wausau Downtown Airport.
“Len said to me, ‘we are going down, pull your seatbelt tight,'” Tiffany recounted.
The congressman said the plane then hit the water in a matter of seconds. Boltz called 911, and they both climbed on top of the plane as it was slowly submerging. About 10 minutes later, as the plane continued sinking, they decided to swim to a shallow area where they could stand and wait for a boat rescue.
Both men had a few scratches from the landing, and Tiffany needed 12 stitches above one eyebrow after his head hit the plane’s dashboard. The congressman said CT scans did not show any sign of a concussion, but that he would be closely monitoring for any signs of a head injury.
“I have to say that the gravity of this is probably just hitting me at this point,” Tiffany said through tears at the Wausau Fire Department on Sunday. “Because we were making jokes every step of the way. . . though we knew it was a serious situation.”
Tiffany thanked first responders and hospital staff, with a row of firefighters and paramedics standing behind him at the press conference. He later posted a thank-you message to social media.
I just want to say thank you for your prayers and support.
— Tom Tiffany (@TomTiffanyWI) September 13, 2026
We were incredibly fortunate, and I’m thankful the pilot and I are both doing well. The experience was a reminder to never take a single day for granted.
Thank you to the 911 dispatcher, the Wausau Fire Department crew… pic.twitter.com/NTL6K2mog0
The congressman credited his pilot for avoiding a potentially disastrous landing.
“When you do a water landing, your plane can cartwheel,” Tiffany said. “[Boltz] was savvy enough and quick enough to think about, we got to make sure and pull that landing gear up. He did that and might have saved us as a result.”
Tiffany said he appreciated a message of kind words from Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, but wasn’t sure if President Donald Trump had reached out.
“If he has, he probably called my phone, and it’s being answered by one of the fish down in Lake Wausau,” he said.
Tiffany noted that he did cancel a planned Washington D.C. trip based on doctors’ orders not to fly for a few days, but otherwise intends to continue campaign activities throughout the week.
