Ted Koppel's Son Andrew Dies After Drinking Binge

By PopEater Staff Posted Jun 1st 2010 06:35AM

Ted Koppel's Son Andrew Dies After Booze Binge

Andrew Koppel, son of TV anchor Ted Koppel, died early Monday morning after a marathon day of drinking in New York City. He was 40. The New York Post reports Andrew went to an apartment late in the night with a new drinking buddy, Russell Wimberly, and was later found in a bedroom, unconscious and not breathing.

Belinda Caban, a resident of the apartment where Koppel died, said, "He was just really messed up when he came in. He was very drunk. I didn't understand anything he said. We took him to the bedroom and laid him down to rest."

"His complexion wasn't right. It was pale. I said to call the police," Caban said of finding Koppel later that night. "When the ambulance came, they said he was dead."

Andrew Koppel was an attorney for the New York City Housing Authority. He was Ted Koppel's only son and the third of four children.

The medical examiner has not yet determined the cause of death, and no one has been charged.

The Post reports Koppel lived with his girlfriend and their "baby daughter."

Russell Wimberly recalled meeting Koppel earlier in the day: "He had a straw hat on, and I had one on, and he said, 'Nice hat, man.' We got to talking, and he started buying me drinks. There was a lot of alcohol. He didn't take anything else [drugs] around me, and neither of us ate all day. We talked about our kids ... He said he had a kid and loved [her] a lot."

The binge led to a cab ride to Caban's apartment. Koppel and Wimberly stopped on the way to buy whiskey and beer.

"[He] wasn't feeling good," Wimberly said of Koppel. "I told him to lay down and turn the light off. He was snoring really loud. I thought he was out."

The Post notes Andrew Koppel was involved in an alcohol-related "fender bender" driving his father's Mercedes in Maryland in 1990. In 1993, he was convicted of an assault on a senator's aide in Washington, D.C., and sent to alcohol treatment.

Tags: ted koppel

Comments

(141)

Tuesday 01 June

By margie

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Ted Koppel was a very involved father. He stayed home to take care of his kids when his wife was in grad school, for heaven's sake! If you don't know anything about somebody, it's best you don't criticize them.

By Jacqeline

Maybe he was a alcoholic, That does not discrimatate? Rich,Poor!

By Ricki

Whether it'a Ted Koppel's son or Joe Shmow's son, he was a human being and family member! My condolences to the entire family.

By The Geoghegan's

Alcohol is alcohol. You can be an alcoholic on wine, beer, whiskey, etc. It is all detoxified by the liver.

By JudeThom

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Of course alochol is alochol--duh--but red wine is better and if you are going to drink you MUST also consume food!!!!!!!!!!!

By Sharon

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Really? You are SO misinformed. I would love for you to talk to my friend who has cirrhosis of the liver from drinking red wine! Please don't spout nonsense, some poor unsuspecting soul might read only your post and take it as truth. You really don't know what you're talking about.

By Ken

No parent should lose a child.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family.

By henry

Sad...RIP... people... learn from this please!!!

By Judi

Alcoholism is a disease. The three choices are: get sober, go insane, or die. Sadly, this man never found a program and support for recovery. Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

By jenniferjordan77

the three choices are either "sober up, locked up or covered up"

By Mike

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THANK GOD he dies of Drinking and not smoking! We all know how bad smoking is and how is cost the health care industry BILLIONS! After all there's so many more people in the emergency room with smoking related deaths and accidents...Have another Capt. Morgan, Bud lite, Miller lite...All these things are GOOD for you, right?

By Betty Wilkerson

The loss of a son takes you breath awaya nd nothing is ever the same. I am so very sorry for your loss.

By Larry

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Sorry to have to say, but he had no one to blame but himself.

By George Earl

Well, sounds corny maybe, but let this piece be a bit of advice for those who still think that "getting plastered" is the way of showing one's manhood--be it on a three-day holiday weekend or whenever. You'd think that a newscaster would bring up a son to see that one of the top reasons the good ol' USA is going downhill ultra-fast is because a majority of its residents (no, not all citizens) just don't think beyond the liquid--or broad--in their hands. Rest in peace, my son.

By steve

just out walking my dog this morning and see 3 stretch limos parked on the corner. also see a photographer with a NY Daily News Jacket on. Ask him whats going on> told that Ted Koppels son is dead and the cars are there to pick up the family who live around the corner. been here for over 30 yrs. and never knew it. just a way to start the day I guess.

By Entertainment2u-Twitter

Wow -- this one was a tough one to wake up to today. I hung out a few times with Drew when he was in college. Sad to read this.

RIP.

By bobnpath

acute alcohol poisoning.
suppresses breathing and all-stop.

By BeeTap

Wow. Sorry about Ted Koppel's son. Andrew. Maybe a congenitive defect exasperated by the drinking. My condolences.

By Bait

Do you mean a CONGENITAL defect EXACERBATED by drinking??? Were you out drinking too? I know some will say I am nit-picking, but what you said is totally different from what you meant. I do not believe congenitive is a word and exasperated is not even close in meaning to exacerbated

By Tracy Hill

Thoughts and prayers to his family. May he rest in peace.

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