Judge’s waterfront mansion burns down, kayak rescue saves occupants

South Carolina authorities are investigating a possible arson attack on a state judge’s house Saturday, which left the million-dollar waterfront mansion burned to the ground, according to authorities and local reports.

While authorities did not immediately release the homeowners’ names, the Post and Courier identified them as Circuit Court Judge Diane Schafer Goodstein, 69, and her husband, Arnold Goodstein, 81, a former member of both houses of the state legislature.

He once served as the commissioner of the South Carolina Department of Transportation and before that was wounded in the Tet offensive in the Vietnam War. He received a Bronze Star for heroism in action, twice, according to his state legislature bio.

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Firefighters from St. Paul Fire District assisted the Edisto Beach Fire Department extinguishing the blaze on Edisto Island, a waterfront community about an hour’s drive southwest of Charleston.

“This area is located on a barrier island with significant challenges such as limited water supply and tight areas,” St. Paul officials said in a Facebook post. As a result, first responders used kayaks to rescue the occupants from their backyard as the house went up in flames.

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Arnold Goodstein suffered injuries after jumping out of a window facing the backyard to escape the flames, the Post and Courier reported. The judge was walking their dogs at the time.

Three people were reportedly injured in the blaze. The couple have two adult children.

Authorities released a photo showing the towering waterfront home dwarfed by flames and clouds of black smoke.

A spokesperson for the State Law Enforcement Division, confirmed that state investigators were looking into the cause of the blaze,

“The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating a house fire that occurred on Saturday, October 4, 2025, in Colleton County,” Renée Wunderlich, the agency’s director of public information, told Fox News Digital. “SLED’s investigation is active and ongoing. More information may be available as the case continues.”