Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany was among two people rescued after a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza lost power and made an emergency water landing on Lake Wausau near Wausau Downtown Airport late Saturday. Tiffany and the pilot, Leonard Boltz, were taken for medical treatment after emergency responders reached the aircraft by airboat, with the congressman later reporting that he suffered minor injuries.
The aircraft was approaching the airport when the power loss forced the water landing in central Wisconsin. Marathon County sheriff’s officials, Wausau fire and emergency crews, and hospital staff at Aspirus Wausau Hospital all responded to the incident, while the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified.
Tiffany later confirmed that the men called 911, exited as the aircraft began to submerge and were transported for care. Later coverage added that he received a cut above his right eye that required stitches. Both men were treated for minor injuries and released, and authorities placed a no-wake buoy near the aircraft while recovery work was arranged.