On a breezy, overcast day, recovery teams successfully extracted a plane from Lake Wausau, which had made an emergency water landing while carrying a gubernatorial candidate. The plane, featuring its tail above the water like a shark’s fin, was brought to shore through coordinated efforts involving divers and tow truck operators.
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U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany, a Republican from Minocqua and a candidate for governor, was en route between campaign events on the night of September 12 when the pilot reported engine issues, necessitating an emergency landing on the water. Details of the incident can be found here.
Both Tiffany and the pilot sustained minor injuries but were promptly rescued by local first responders. The plane remained in the lake for almost two days before recovery operations commenced on September 14, involving a collaborative effort by divers, local aircraft specialists, and towing teams.
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The Federal Aviation Administration stated that local authorities were tasked with removing the aircraft. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, alongside other local agencies, accomplished this task by Monday afternoon.
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Wausau Fire Department Battalion Chief Kraig Kruzan, who participated in the rescue, remarked that the mission was close to a best-case scenario. “Things could have been completely different,” he noted, highlighting the potential danger had the plane landed on land.
In preparation for the aircraft’s retrieval, experts spent several hours ensuring it could be removed from the lake intact, according to local airport officials.
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Rep. Tiffany praised the pilot for retracting the landing gear before the water landing, a move he believed prevented the plane from flipping and potentially saved their lives. When lifted from the lake, the landing gear was found to be extended.
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An FAA inspector will now examine the aircraft, with investigations often extending over several months. The preliminary report is accessible here.
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The National Transportation Safety Board awaits the FAA’s findings to decide if the incident warrants a formal investigation. The NTSB typically handles cases involving significant damage or serious injury.
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