A dramatic search unfolded over a dark Wisconsin lake after Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany’s plane crashed, plunging underwater. Rescuers faced challenges locating him and his pilot, Leonard Boltz.
Dispatch audio revealed teams urgently calling for additional resources as they tracked the last known GPS position of a submerged phone.
Hours after being discharged from the hospital, Tiffany recounted the harrowing moments before the crash. Boltz warned him of the power loss on the final approach to Wausau Downtown Airport. Tiffany pulled his seatbelt tight, preparing for impact.
Tiffany described how his head struck the dashboard upon impact, needing 12 stitches. Boltz also sustained injuries, requiring four stitches.
The pair initially checked on each other before exiting through a passenger-side door while the plane filled with water.
Tiffany lost his phone in the cockpit, but Boltz used his to call 911. They waited atop the sinking plane for roughly 10 minutes before swimming towards the airport.
Upon reaching a shallow spot, Tiffany suggested waiting until help arrived as emergency lights appeared around the lake.
The dispatch audio showed that rescuers faced uncertainty in searching for the downed plane. Additional resources were requested, and witnesses provided a general search area. Rescuers used thermal imaging and GPS data to narrow the search. A crucial moment occurred when a landowner offered a boat to aid deputies.
The tense search concluded successfully when rescuers located both men, pulling them from the water. They were reported to be alert and conscious.
Tiffany praised Boltz’s experience in preventing a deadly outcome. Boltz, a former Air Force pilot trainer, raised the landing gear before touching down on the water.
Tiffany estimated the plane’s speed at impact between 70 and 80 mph. Describing it as akin to a fast-moving car crash, he credited Boltz’s skill for preventing the plane from flipping.
Wausau Mayor Doug Diny, also a former pilot, lauded Boltz’s efforts in landing safely at night. Both Tiffany and Boltz received medical attention and were released. Despite a canceled trip to Washington, D.C., Tiffany intends to resume his campaign.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash cause. Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson expressed gratitude for Tiffany’s safety. Tiffany, representing Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, will face Democratic opponent David Crowley in November elections.