The workers thought the problem was clogged leaves or other debris so they used a jet spray that delivers about 2,000 pounds of pressure to force loose whatever was blocking the sewer.

“Once it hits an obstruction, it starts pulsating,” Williams said.

When the men pulled the reel and hose back out, the turtle came with it, Williams said. It was the size of a car tire.

“I don’t know how he could have gotten stuck in a 12-inch storm sewer,” he said.

Williams said city workers did some sleuthing on the Internet to determine how to properly handle the turtle and ensure it could survive being released back into the wild.

The first order of business, Williams said, was to hoist the heavy turtle out of the sewer and onto the back of a city truck.

“He took a little bit of a beating from [our sewer clearing device],” Williams said.

“He survived, but he wasn’t very happy.”

City workers transported the turtle to a field near the Cuyahoga River at the city’s Waterworks Park, where it was released.