That does look like the clip to me and I agree with Rod Knox that things look a bit trashed in there.
My eyes are not terribly great at the moment either due to 2 cataract surgeries that have not quite healed up yet and are still irritable.
That clip seems to protrude a bit on the bottom side. Any chance of maybe weaseling a sharp something in there and prying it out? Destroy the clip. So what.
I feel for you and I’m sure all of us (me for sure) have been there more than once wrestling something on a brutally hot day.
A balmy 105 the other day here in OK and supposed to hit 107 next week. And August is generally the hot month…