Debbie Wood, founder and director of the Chesapeake Children’s Museum in Annapolis, has twice now gone outside to notice a four-foot-long statue of a turtle was missing.

And both times, she found it in nearby Spa Creek.

When she first found it in the creek Sept. 27, she called the police department, which came out, filed a report and called the Recreation and Parks Department to scoop the statue out.

“Then, a week later, I saw it was missing again,” Wood said.

She had a feeling the unnamed turtle statue, made of recycled aluminum, was in Spa Creek again, but the tide was too high to see.

Then Wednesday, a neighbor walked into the museum and informed Wood that the statue had — again — gone for a swim in Spa Creek.

With the tide still low, Wood called the Annapolis Police Department again. In a “heroic” move, she said, the responding officer asked how heavy the statue was, called for backup and asked to borrow some rope.

Two Annapolis police officers took “probably 15 minutes” to get the statue out of the creek and back into place outside the museum.

Capt. Guy Thacker with the Annapolis Police Department called it “unfortunate” that someone moved the statue, but said the department was able to get it back.

“The officer went down there, and they were nice enough to give him some waders, so he could bundle up appropriately,” Thacker said. “He said he was able to lift it out.”

“It’s a happy ending, for the moment,” Wood said.

She’s worried someone may come and toss the statue into the creek again. She hopes to get it firmly anchored in the ground, perhaps with concrete.

The statue, in place since 2022, is “well-loved” and popular with visitors, Wood said. It’s long enough that two or three kids can sit on it at a time.

The Chesapeake Children’s Museum features activities for kids, including nature walks and story times. It’s open daily, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.