WAUSAU (NBC 26) — The plane that went down carrying Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany has now been removed from Lake Wausau, after the congressman and his pilot made an emergency landing Saturday.
Crews took their time removing the Beechcraft K-35 on Monday, saying they wanted to recover it without spilling fuel into the lake.
Tiffany addressed a crowd alongside first responders Sunday, where he gave an emotional thank-you to those who helped him.
“We’re really fortunate that God was looking after us last night,” Tiffany said. “And we’re also really fortunate for the first responders behind me — the fire department, the sheriff’s department, as well as the Wausau Police Department — for their quick response. We’re really fortunate for what they did.”
Tiffany’s opponent in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race, David Crowley, also addressed the situation while speaking in Madison on Monday. Crowley said he reached out to Tiffany after the crash.
“I think that at the end of the day, we may be political opponents, but we're still human, and I still look at him as a neighbor,” Crowley said. “I wanted to make sure that he, his family and the pilot were doing OK.”
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is urging boaters to stay away from the crash site while crews continue recovery and investigative work.
