Republican gubernatorial candidate for Wisconsin governor survives small plane crash
WAUSAU, Wis. (CBS, KYMA) - Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), who is running for governor of Wisconsin, said he's lucky to be alive after surviving a small plane crash over the weekend.
Rep. Tiffany had to swim ashore with the pilot after they crashed into a lake over the weekend.
"We are just really fortunate. We're really fortunate that God was looking after us last night," Tiffany expressed.
An emotional Tiffany is living to tell the tale after his plane crashed into Wisconsin's Lake Wausau late Saturday.
He was aboard a four-seat single-engine aircraft with pilot Len Boltz, when the plane lost power as it started its decent to land.
"And Len said to me, 'We are going down. Pull your seatbelt tight.' That's exactly what I did. I gave it a yank and pulled it good and tight...probably about 10 seconds later, we hit the water and after the plane settled, probably a couple of seconds...We looked at each other. 'Are you okay?' And he said to me, 'Are you okay?' And we're like, 'Yeah,'" Tiffany detailed.
The pair swam to shore. Officials credited the pilot for having the wherewithal to retract the landing gear in order to reduce the risk of the plane flipping in the water.
"Once he knew he was committed to a water landing, he did every single thing right," said John Chmiel, manager of the Wausau Downtown Airport.
Boltz, a retired Air Force pilot, received four stitches and Tiffany needed twelve stitches for a cut above his right eye.
He said he is continuing his campaign for Wisconsin governor as the Republican candidate.
"All that happened to me was my head hit the dash in front of me and that was the extent of the damage. I mean we're just really fortunate," Tiffany remarked.
Authorities have located the plane, but not yet retrieved it from the water. The FAA said it will investigate the crash.
David Crowley, Tiffany's Democratic opponent in the governor's race, wished him a quick recovery in a social media post and also praised the heroism of the pilot.
