However what you said would have definitely happened because if he was to sticked around when those other 3 children will come out of the water they would definitely say something he might not truly like.
Basically, his friends may have done this to him in the past which caused his early departure from the scene. But parents must do better at tutoring their kids on ways to get over peer pressure, because it could lead a child into the danger of emotional trauma, or bully.