Here is another angle: No one saw what the five year old child actually did. It is possible that the chick was already dead when he tried to help it. How many times have any of us who raise many chicks during the year looked in to the brooder first thing in the morning and found a dead chick...
He would not need to hold it in the water for long at all. It is extremely easy to cause a chick to aspirate water-just dipping its beak past the nostrils will do the trick if it inhales. Anyone who has needed to use an eyedropper to give a liquid to a weak chick is familiar with this. I have...