not knowing

I got a phone call tonight from an old friend, and immediately I knew something was wrong. I could sense a quiet pain in his voice, one I've heard before. He told me his dad had died last night... I didn't know what to say, and I felt nearly as helpless as he did. I wish there was something I could do for him, some way to comfort him. I can hardly imagine how he felt. His father had gone up to the cabin in a remote area and gotten his truck stuck, so he spent the night in the pickup. Sometime during the night he got up, probably to use the bathroom and he fell down an embankment. During the night he died. My heart broke for my friend and his family. I don't know how to reach out to him, I don't know what to do. All I could do was say how sorry I was, and that I would keep him in my prayers. There is a unique useless and helpless feeling I have right now.