Wisconsin Republican Congressman and gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany is speaking exclusively with TMJ4 News about the moments following a plane crash into Lake Wausau nearly 72 hours ago.
Tiffany said he braced for impact just seconds before the plane hit the water.
"I yanked that seatbelt tight, and I would guess it was not more than 5 seconds before then we hit the water," Tiffany said.
Watch Charles Benson's report in the video player below:
The crash left him with a cut above his right eye that required 12 stitches to close. He said he did not immediately realize he had been injured.
"That's when I hit my head," Tiffany said. "I didn't know I hit my head, because things happen so fast at that point."
After impact, Tiffany said he checked on the pilot, Len Boltz.
“The plane settled in the water. I looked at the pilot, and I said, ‘Len, are you OK?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m OK. Are you OK?’ I said, ‘I’m fine.’ I said, ‘Well then, open this door,’” Tiffany said.
After standing on the four-passenger plane for a few minutes before it began to sink, Tiffany and the pilot made the decision to swim to shore in the dark. They eventually reached shallow water.
"We just started swimming along and, Len emphasized to me, he said, 'Tom, I am a really good swimmer. Don't hesitate—I'll help you along, so don't worry,'" said Tiffany. " I'm an OK swimmer, and so we just kept making our way along, dog paddling."
Once on shore, Tiffany said his first priority was reaching his wife.
“I asked the EMTs, ‘Do you have a phone? I need to call my wife?’ And they said, ‘We’re taking care of you first.’ I really wish I could have called her sooner," Tiffany said.
When asked how he opened that conversation, Tiffany said it started simply: "Chris, I'm OK."
He added that by the time he was able to make contact, she had already been informed about what happened.
Tiffany has since watched doorbell camera video that captured the moment the plane hit Lake Wausau.
"You see the light come down, and it doesn't show a lot, but what I found really interesting is when it hit the water, it was— it was like a muffled boom, and it was really interesting to hear that because that's not what I heard in the plane," Tiffany said. "Because I had headphones on and all I remember is we hit hard, but to hear that from a distance ... it was kind of eerie."
Tiffany said the experience has given him a deeper appreciation for first responders.
"I know I have a great appreciation, first of all, for the skill of the pilot," Tiffany said. "And it reinforces what our first responders do because when we made that 911 call— and by the way, we saw sirens within one or two minutes after we made that 911 call."
He also reflected on the role his faith played in surviving the crash.
"We had an angel on our shoulder. There's no doubt about it, and that's, you know, by the grace of God, we're here today and greatly appreciate it," Tiffany said.
Tiffany said he has noticed no lasting physical effects, though he acknowledged his wife is keeping a close eye on him.
"I'm just paying attention to my actions and stuff," Tiffany said. "I know Chris is watching me a little bit closer these days, but no, I've found no aftereffects."
He said he plans to work from home for now. He was scheduled to be in Washington, D.C. for congressional work, but his doctor asked him not to fly for a couple of days.
Tiffany also has campaign events scheduled for this week, and expressed no hesitation about flying again in small planes as he travels across the state.
"We'll keep going on Thursday. I mean—I'm as determined as I've ever been to achieve our goal here," Tiffany said.
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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