Esteemed ABC anchor Ted Koppel has suffered a crippling loss today. His son, Andrew Koppel, has died early this morning in a Washington Heights apartment. He was pronounced dead around 1:30 a.m.

Andrew had visited a bar the night before. He made the acquaintance of a man, Russell Wimberly, whom he felt a rapport with due to the similar straw hats they were both wearing. The two became fast friends and drinking buddies. "He said, 'Nice hat, man,"' Wimberly recalls. "We got to talking, and he started buying me drinks." According to CBS 2 News, both men drank for "hours" and on empty stomachs. Wimberly adds that Andrew's drink of choice was whiskey.

The drinking binge eventually ended at the Upper Manhattan apartment, which belonged to Wimberly's friend, Belinda Caban. Andrew was told to "sleep it off" by his new friend, but he never awoke. When Wimberly and Caban later checked up on him, Andrew was not breathing and they immediately called 911. Andrew Koppel was 40 years old.

Living in Queens, Andrew attended Georgetown Law School, and would go on to work for the law department at the city Housing Authority. One of four children, Andrew's ugly side came out when he was convicted on a misdemeanor assault charge back in 1994 for striking a U.S. Senate aide during an altercation at a Capitol Hill ATM.