Local
Plane from Tiffany’s Lake Wausau landing to be recovered cautiously near Everest Park
Crews are using divers, a pontoon barge and 200-foot cables to recover the small plane involved in Tom Tiffany’s emergency landing on Lake Wausau. The operation could take time because of weather, water conditions and concerns about leaking fuel.
WAUSAU, Wis. — Crews are working to recover the remains of a Beechcraft K-35 from Lake Wausau after the four-seat plane made an emergency water landing Saturday night while carrying U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican candidate for governor.
Jerry’s Towing Company surveyed the area near Everest Park before beginning the recovery operation. The company expects three or four workers, along with divers, to take part in the effort.
A pontoon barge will be positioned near the site, and crews will connect cables extending roughly 200 feet to pull pieces of the aircraft toward shore. Mark Bradfish, the company’s terminal manager, said the team planned to begin recovery after organizing its divers and equipment and notifying the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
“We’ll start probably tomorrow morning, do the recovery,” Bradfish said. “We’re getting our divers lined up and everything lined up, and then we’ll notify the DNR, let them be aware that we’re out on the scene, and we’ll run out cable and start pulling it in.”
The DNR is asking boaters to stay clear of the crash site while the work continues. The recovery timeline remains uncertain and could depend on weather, water currents and the condition of the aircraft beneath the surface.
Crews also plan to proceed slowly to reduce the risk of aviation fuel spilling into Lake Wausau, adding an environmental concern to the already delicate recovery operation.