US congressman, pilot swim to safety after plane loses power, lands on water

Representative Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, said he and his pilot swam to safety after a plane in which they were traveling lost power and made an emergency water landing on a lake in central Wisconsin, sustaining minor injuries.

"While returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner tonight, the plane I was traveling in lost power as we approached the Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau," he posted on X in the early hours of Sunday.

"After landing, we called 911. 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."

"They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care. Thankfully, both the pilot and I sustained only minor injuries," Tiffany added.

Tiffany, who was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump, represents Wisconsin's seventh Congressional District and won the Republican nomination in August. He is due to face Democratic nominee David Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive, in the November 3 gubernatorial election.

Crowley said he was relieved that no one was seriously hurt.

"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," he said.

-Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Susan Fenton/Reuters