Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin, swam to safety after the four-seat Bonanza plane he was traveling in made an emergency landing in a lake, according to a statement released early Sunday. 

“While returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner, the plane I was traveling in lost power as we approached the Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau," Tiffany said in the statement.

“After landing, we called 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," he added. 

Tiffany expressed his "deepest gratitude to the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, and all of the first responders who came to our aid so quickly."

"They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care. Thankfully, both the pilot and I sustained only minor injuries," he said.

"God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side. An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is," he added.