U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for governor of Wisconsin, escaped with only minor injuries after the small plane he was aboard made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau late Saturday.

Tiffany and the pilot were returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza lost power on approach to the Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot executed the water landing around 9 p.m., according to reports from local authorities.

After the plane touched down, Tiffany and the pilot called 911. As the aircraft began to submerge, they exited and swam to a shallow area, where they waited for responders. Emergency crews from the Wausau Fire Department, along with the Wisconsin DNR and State Patrol, reached them by boat and transported both men to Aspirus Wausau Hospital.

Tiffany released a statement late Saturday night expressing gratitude to the pilot and first responders. “An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is,” he said.

The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office marked the submerged plane with a buoy and requested the public keep its distance. The FAA will lead the investigation into the incident.

Tiffany, a sitting congressman, has been actively campaigning as the Republican candidate in the gubernatorial race against Democrat candidate David Crowley.

Crowley responded to Tiffany’s announcement of the incident in an X post.

The close call comes as the November general election looms closer. Wisconsin, carried by President Donald Trump in 2024, is a key battleground state that offers both parties potential gains in competitive statewide and legislative races. The swing state’s gubernatorial race is considered a true tossup heading into the midterms.