U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, said he sustained minor injuries late Saturday night after a small plane carrying him and a pilot lost power and made an emergency water landing on Lake Wausau in central Wisconsin.

Tiffany detailed the incident in a statement posted to X in the early hours of Sunday, describing a harrowing sequence of events that unfolded as the aircraft approached Wausau Downtown Airport following a campaign event.

What happened

According to Tiffany’s account, the four-seat Bonanza aircraft lost power while returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Onalaska, Wisconsin. “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. “The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau.”

Once the plane came down on the lake, Tiffany said he and the pilot immediately called for help, but the aircraft began taking on water and sinking before rescuers could reach them. “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,” Tiffany said.

The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a private aircraft went down in Lake Wausau at approximately 9 p.m. Saturday. Emergency dispatch audio obtained and verified by CNN captured the moment rescuers located both men in the water, with an official at the scene telling dispatchers, “Boat heads back to landing with two victims,” before confirming, “Both are alert and conscious.”

Rescue and medical response

Tiffany and the pilot were pulled from the water by the Wausau Fire Department and other first responders and transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital for treatment. Tiffany expressed gratitude for the swift response in his statement. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, and all of the first responders who came to our aid so quickly,” Tiffany said. “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.”

In additional remarks following the incident, Tiffany reflected on the emotional weight of the experience, saying he was thankful to have his family nearby as he recovered. “God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side,” Tiffany said. “An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.”

Investigation and jurisdiction

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin State Patrol also responded to the scene alongside local emergency crews, according to WSAW. Authorities said the investigation into the cause of the power loss and subsequent emergency landing will be handed over to the Federal Aviation Administration, which typically leads investigations into general aviation incidents of this kind.

No additional details about the specific mechanical issue that caused the aircraft to lose power had been released as of early Sunday, and it remained unclear how long the FAA’s review of the incident might take.

Political reaction

Tiffany’s Democratic opponent in the Wisconsin governor’s race, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, issued a statement expressing relief following news of the incident. “I’m grateful to God that Congressman Tiffany and no one else was hurt in this horrifying incident, which could have been a tragedy if not for the heroism of the pilot,” Crowley wrote on social media. “I wish them and the Congressman a quick recovery and that they can find solace with their loved ones.”

The bipartisan expression of concern came amid what is expected to be a closely watched gubernatorial race in Wisconsin this fall. Tiffany, who represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, won the Republican nomination for governor in August and has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump in his bid for the state’s top office. He is set to face Crowley in the general election.

Background on Tiffany

Tiffany entered Congress in 2020 after winning a special election to represent Wisconsin’s 7th District, following earlier service in the Wisconsin State Assembly and State Senate. His campaign for governor has centered on a broader Republican push to flip the office this cycle, with Trump’s endorsement expected to play a significant role in the race heading into the fall campaign season.

With both Tiffany and the pilot reported to be in stable condition following treatment at Aspirus Wausau Hospital, attention now turns to the FAA’s forthcoming investigation into what caused the aircraft to lose power during its approach to Wausau Downtown Airport. Details about the pilot’s identity and any additional findings from the ongoing inquiry had not been released as of Sunday morning.

The incident adds an unexpected and dramatic chapter to Tiffany’s gubernatorial campaign, occurring just weeks after he secured the Republican nomination. As recovery efforts and the investigation continue, both Tiffany’s campaign and Wisconsin emergency officials are expected to provide further updates on the incident and its aftermath in the coming days.

Lionel Messi moved to within a single goal of the century mark for Inter Miami on Saturday night, scoring a stoppage-time equalizer that ultimately wasn’t enough to prevent the club from settling for a 2-2 draw against Eastern Conference leaders Nashville SC.

The goal was Messi’s 99th in 114 appearances for Inter Miami since joining the club in the summer of 2023, extending a scoring record that has already redefined expectations for what a player in his late 30s can accomplish in Major League Soccer.

How Saturday’s match unfolded

Inter Miami entered the top-of-the-table clash with Nashville in need of a result, having won just one of its previous six matches heading into the weekend. That poor stretch had left the club trailing well off the pace in the race for the top spot in MLS’s Eastern Conference standings.

The night started poorly for the home side, with Nashville taking an early lead just four minutes into the match. Inter Miami responded, and Messi was among the scorers who pulled the club level, finishing from the edge of the penalty area with his left foot to make it 1-1.

For a stretch of the match, Inter Miami appeared positioned to secure a much-needed victory. That hope was dashed in stoppage time, when Nashville’s Sam Surridge tapped home an equalizer to secure a 2-2 final score, leaving Miami still searching for the kind of result that could meaningfully close the gap in the conference standings.

Following the draw, Nashville sits nine points clear of Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference with nine rounds of matches remaining in the regular season, a gap that leaves Miami’s path back into first place increasingly difficult with the campaign entering its final stretch.

A record-setting run in South Florida

Messi’s 99th goal continues one of the most statistically dominant stretches of his storied career. Since arriving in Major League Soccer in the summer of 2023, the Argentine has become the fastest player in league history to reach 100 combined goals and assists, hitting that mark in just 64 appearances during a match against Toronto FC earlier this season, 31 games faster than the previous record holder, Sebastian Giovinco. That milestone breaks down into 59 goals and 41 assists compiled prior to Saturday’s match, according to figures released by Inter Miami CF.

Messi also became just the eighth player in club history to reach 100 total appearances for Inter Miami earlier this year, a milestone he marked in typically productive fashion, recording a goal and an assist in that match even though Inter Miami ultimately lost 4-3 to rival Orlando City in a wild Florida derby.

Beyond his MLS totals, Messi passed the 900-goal mark for his overall career earlier this year, a milestone reached in a CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Nashville, coincidentally the same opponent Inter Miami faced again on Saturday. That strike brought his Inter Miami tally to 81 goals at the time, adding to a career total that includes 672 goals for Barcelona, 32 for Paris Saint-Germain and 115 for the Argentina national team.

Reflecting on Messi’s scoring totals ahead of that 900th-goal milestone, Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano, a former teammate of Messi’s at both Barcelona and with the Argentina national team, offered a candid assessment of what it has been like to witness the numbers pile up from the sideline.

“I haven’t contributed much to him scoring goals, neither with assists nor now as a coach,” Mascherano said. “I’ve been lucky enough to see most, or many, of the goals he’s scored, much closer than you all, and that’s a privilege. The number we’re talking about (900) is insane, and that’s why Leo is a one of a kind.”

Trophies alongside the individual milestones

Messi’s individual scoring feats have come alongside sustained team success since his arrival in South Florida. He has captained Inter Miami to each of the club’s first four major trophies, winning the 2023 Leagues Cup, the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield, the 2025 Eastern Conference title and the 2025 MLS Cup. With Inter Miami now working to close the gap on Nashville in this year’s conference race, a repeat run through the postseason in 2026 remains a central goal for the club as the regular season winds down.

With nine matches remaining in the regular season and Messi sitting on the doorstep of 100 career goals for the club, attention will now turn to when the milestone strike finally arrives. Inter Miami’s ability to close the nine-point gap on Nashville atop the Eastern Conference will likely hinge heavily on Messi’s continued scoring form, particularly given the club’s inconsistent run of results heading into Saturday’s draw.

For a player who turned 38 earlier this year, the pace at which Messi continues to produce both goals and assists remains a central storyline of MLS’s current season, with comparisons frequently drawn to other veteran stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who reached his own 100 goal-contribution milestone with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia shortly before turning 40. As Inter Miami looks to salvage its position in the conference standings over the season’s final stretch, Messi’s continued pursuit of individual milestones is likely to remain one of the league’s most closely watched storylines heading into the postseason.

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Passengers screamed in terror as severe turbulence rocked a Turkish Airlines flight during its descent into Tunisia, with one traveler saying the plane “started to plummet” after repeated attempts to land in stormy weather.

The flight from Istanbul was approaching Tunis-Carthage International Airport on Thursday when poor weather turned what had been a smooth journey into a frightening ordeal.

Passenger Marina Maiskaya shared video to Instagram that shows passengers gripping their seats as the aircraft shakes, with screams erupting throughout the cabin while the plane circles ahead of an attempted landing.

‘WE THOUGHT WE WOULD DIE’: PASSENGERS THROWN INTO CEILING DURING TERRIFYING FLIGHT

Passenger Marina Maiskaya shared video of terrifying turbulence during the aircraft’s descent during stormy weather. (mmaiskaya via Storyful / Storyful)

“The flight itself was smooth, but things turned absolutely terrifying as soon as we began our descent,” she wrote. “I have never in my life feared for my life like that — and my mom was with me, too.”

The passenger said the pilot made three attempts to land at the airport while flying through the storm.

A Turkish Airlines plane lands at Istanbul Airport in Turkey, on Sept. 1, 2026. (Moe Zoyari/Sipa USA / Reuters Photos)

“We were shaken violently each time, and on the third attempt, we actually started to plummet,” she wrote.

DELTA FLIGHT DIVERTED TWICE AFTER LAVATORY LEAK FLOODS CABIN, LEAVES PASSENGERS STRANDED FOR HOURS

The aircraft ultimately diverted from Tunis-Carthage International Airport to Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport, about 60 miles south of Tunis.

An Airbus A330-300 aircraft operated by Turkish Airlines takes off at Cointrin Airport in Geneva, Switzerland, April 24, 2026. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse / Reuters Photos)

Despite the frightening descent, the flight landed safely.

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“We made it through safely — perhaps thanks to the Turkish Airlines pilots,” Maiskaya wrote.