Vinnicombe received 23 stitches in her forehead, six staples in her head, and seven staples in her elbow as the result of her fall. (Submitted by Kelsey Vinnicombe)

A 17-year-old athlete credits her rugby training for helping her survive a plunge off Topsail Bluff, that landed her a two-day hospital stint and dozens of stitches and staples.

Kelsey Vinnicombe was out with friends in June walking near the rocky edge of the bluff, known for its scenic views of Topsail beach and Conception Bay — along with its 200 metre drop to the ocean — when she rolled her ankle and lost her balance.

"When I tried to catch myself, I couldn't. And I just kept going," Vinnicombe told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show.

"I didn't really know where I was going to land, so I kind of just thought I was going to die."

Luck was on her side, in the form of a ledge 10 metres below the bluff, where Vinnicombe landed face first.

"I didn't scream the whole way down, but when I got to the bottom… I sat up, and was like, 'this isn't real.' And then I just started screaming my head off. I didn't think people could make noises like that."

Vinnicombe was conscious but in shock at what had just happened, as the extent of her injuries emerged, along with the pain.

All I could see was blood coming down my face and my arms. - Kelsey Vinnicombe

"I could see my forehead flop down, but I thought it was my hair. so I was kind of just flicking it out of my face," she said, adding she used her camera phone to confirm the bad cut, stretching from her left eyebrow to right temple.

"All I could see was blood coming down my face and my arms."

Action at the cliff's edge

Vinnicombe's friends were quick to swing into action to try and save her. One called police, another stood guard to guide the ambulance to the scene, while a third scrambled down the bluff to assess Vinnicombe's state.

Emergency crews hoisted Vinnicombe back up the bluff and rushed her to hospital, with fears of a broken sternum. But an X-ray alleviated that worry as doctors worked to sew up the worst cut to her forehead, along with other scrapes.

In all, she needed 23 stitches to her forehead, six staples to the top of her head and another seven staples to close a gash on her elbow.

While that sounds like a lot of sewing, Vinnicombe said overall her injuries "were pretty minimal for the fall I took," and during her two-day stay at the hospital, doctors were impressed with her resilience.

For that, Vinnicombe said her medical team credited her favourite sport: rugby.

Vinnicombe and her teammates on the under-18 women's provincial rugby team. (Submitted by Kelsey Vinnicombe)

Life-saving rugby tips

Vinnicombe is a member of the under-18 women's provincial rugby team, and said some of her coach's advice came back to her during her fall — to keep your mouth closed when you take a tumble, as having your teeth clack together can make any potential concussion worse.

"I was thinking of that so I kept my mouth closed," said Vinnicombe, who came out of the accident concussion-free.

She said her doctors also figured the rough-and-tumble nature of rugby was a good training ground for falling off a cliff.

Vinnicombe's scar was already fading by the time she played in a rugby tournament just two weeks after her fall. (Submitted by Kelsey Vinnicombe)

"My body's been taking a beating now for two years. So they said me taking those beatings, and getting hit all the time in rugby probably helped me when I was falling, and that probably helped me not break anything."

Not only did Vinnicombe not break anything, she was back on the rugby pitch two weeks later, taking part in a tournament in Nova Scotia.

"I didn't play for very long, but I got out," she said.

"My coach was pretty cautious with me, just because I had fallen off a cliff."