BERLIN (AP) — Firefighters have freed a deer that got stuck in an empty swimming pool in a German town, with a little help from a hunter.

The fire service in Wetter an der Ruhr, in western Germany, said it was alerted to the animal's plight on Monday. Five firefighters sent to the scene found the deer trying unsuccessfully to climb the steep sides of the pool.

Local authorities called in a hunter to help. He grabbed the animal by its hind legs and pushed it upward toward the firefighters.

The fire service said in a statement Tuesday that "the animal didn't even thank anyone for its rescue" before it ran off.