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Wisconsin lawmaker Tom Tiffany recalled the terrifying moment the pilot of his four-seat plane suddenly warned they were going down, leaving him just seconds to brace before the aircraft slammed into a lake.
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aircraft → see → lake
The Republican congressman and gubernatorial nominee said he was preparing to land in Wausau, Wisconsin on Saturday night when the pilot turned to him and told him to tighten his seat belt.
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pilot → say → belt
'As we were making that final turn before we were going to approach for landing, the pilot turned to me and said, "Tom, we are going down, pull your seat belt as tight as possible,"' Tiffany told Fox News on Monday night.
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Tiffany → make → night
'And it was like staring into the abyss.
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it → star → abyss
And you don't know how far down it is.'
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it → know → ?
Tiffany said he yanked his seat belt tight before the aircraft crashed into Lake Wausau.
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aircraft → say → Wausau
'I pulled that seat belt as tight as I could and it was just a couple seconds later, we hit the water and we hit it hard,' he said.
uncertain
he → pull → it
Miraculously, the aircraft remained intact and afloat following the impact.
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aircraft → remain → impact
'The plane stayed upright, thankfully as a result of the skilled work of the pilot, and we looked at each other and said, "Are you okay?"'
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you → stay → other
Tiffany recalled.
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Tiffany → recall → ?
A small plane carrying Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany home from a campaign event lost power on Saturday night forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in the lake
Tiffany swam to a shallow area and waited for help as emergency responders arrived on scene.
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responders → carry → scene
The cut above his eye required 12 stitches but was the only injury he suffered
With the damaged aircraft sitting in the lake and beginning to sink, Tiffany knew they had little time to escape in the darkness.
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they → require → darkness
'When we were both okay I just said to him, "Get this door open," because, you know, the door was right there on my side in the copilot's seat,' he explained.
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he → say → seat
The pair managed to force their way out before swimming away from the stricken aircraft and toward the shoreline.
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pair → manage → shoreline
'We got the door open, got out and the rest from there, we were able to be saved by the local law enforcement as well as the first responders,' Tiffany said.
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Tiffany → get → enforcement
'I can't thank them enough for what they did, but it's by the grace of God that we are here today.'
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we → thank → God
Tiffany said the entire sequence unfolded so rapidly that he has struggled to recall the individual moments.
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he → say → moments
'It happened really quickly,' he said.
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he → happen → ?
'And we were out of that plane I think really quickly.
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I → think → plane
And, you know, you just try to piece it back together but it just happened so quickly.
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it → know → it
The congressman escaped with a gash above his eye that required 12 stitches, while the pilot needed four stitches.
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pilot → escape → stitches
The plane was hauled out of Lake Wausau in Wausau, Wisconsin on Monday
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plane → haul → Monday
The Marathon County Sheriff's office reported that a private plane went down in Lake Wausau at 9pm local time on Saturday night
‘
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plane → report → night
Each of us had very minor injuries.
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Each → have → injuries
Once again thanks to the grace of God,’ Tiffany said.
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Tiffany → say → God
'This is the only injury I have.’
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I → have → ?
The dramatic account came two days after Tiffany first revealed he had survived the crash while returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner.
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he → come → Dinner
He said the four-seat Bonanza lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing on the lake.
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it → say → lake
‘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,’ Tiffany wrote on Facebook after the ordeal.
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Tiffany → return → ordeal
The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau.
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pilot → make → Wausau
After landing, we called 911,’ Tiffany wrote.
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Tiffany → call → 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.’
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responders → begin → boat
The Marathon County Sheriff's Office and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources responded to the scene.
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Office → respond → scene
Tiffany and the pilot were taken from the water and transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital for treatment.
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Tiffany → take → treatment
The congressman later thanked those involved in the dramatic rescue, saying first responders ‘got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care.’
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we → thank → care
Exactly what caused the aircraft to lose power remains under investigation.
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aircraft → cause → investigation
Tiffany, a Republican, has represented Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District since 2020, winning the seat previously held by Sean Duffy, who resigned from Congress in 2019 and now serves as President Donald Trump's Transportation Secretary.
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who → represent → Secretary
Tiffany is now the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor and is set to face Democrat David Crowley in November.
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Tiffany → set → November
A Marquette Law School poll published at the end of August showed the two tied at 44 percent of support each among respondents who were registered voters.
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who → publish → respondents
12 percent of registered voter respondents to the poll were undecided.
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percent → register → poll
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
