Tom Tiffany (center) poses with Wausau first responders the day after he was rescued from a plane crash into Lake Wausau. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Tom Tiffany says he feels fortunate to have walked away from Saturday’s plane crash with just a few bumps and scratches.
The 7th Congressional District Representative and Republican Candidate for Governor held a news conference at the downtown Wausau Fire Station on Sunday to thank the firefighters and other first responders who rescued him and his pilot after a crash landing in Lake Wausau.
Tiffany spent the day in Southwestern Wisconsin and was flying back to the Wausau Municipal Airport when the Beechcraft K-35 lost power. From there, things quickly took a turn for the worse. “[The pilot] said to me, ‘we are going down, pull your seatbelt tight.’ That’s exactly what I did, I gave it a yank, and probably about ten seconds later, not sure of the exact timing, but about ten seconds later we hit the water.”
Tiffany and the pilot, Len Boltz, were the only two people in the aircraft. After crashing, they opened the door and stood on the aircraft for a few minutes while Boltz called for help. As the craft sank, they decided to swim for shore. Tiffany estimates they swam about 150 feet before they hit a sandbar, where they stood and waited for first responders.
Shortly after the incident, Tiffany released a statement saying he felt “God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side. An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.”
The Republican also credited his pilot, Len Boltz, with acting quickly to prevent further disaster. “As we were going down, after we lost power, Len pulled up the landing gear. For those not familiar with planes, if you leave your landing gear down [during] a water landing, your plane can cartwheel.
“It’s really fortunate that he knew what he was doing,” he added.
Tiffany was released from the hospital shortly after being treated for a cut on his forehead. Doctors also checked him for a concussion. He says he feels fine and intends to fulfill all of his commitments this week, though doctors have advised him not to fly for a few days.
Boltz was also treated for minor injuries and released. He did not speak during Sunday’s news conference in Wausau.
Democrat David Crowley released the following statement shortly after the news broke: “I’m grateful to God that Congressman Tiffany and no one else was hurt in this horrifying incident, which could have been a tragedy if not for the heroism of the pilot.
“I wish them and the Congressman a quick recovery and that they can find solace with their loved ones.”
The NTSB will investigate the crash. Tiffany says he will cooperate with that process if needed.
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