Try wading across.

"Eh, my feet are pretty dirty. I could stand to get a little cleaner."

Hilda tests the water with her bare feet, getting her toes wet. It's cool, but not that bad, and it seems pretty shallow.

She takes a few more cautious steps. The water is up too her shins, and the current is a little strong, but she shouldn't have any trouble. The ground is sandy, and actually feels kind of nice when she balls her toes.

She continues to cross, not really paying much attention to the ground underfoot, which is how she fails to spot the sudden drop directly in front of her...