Arnold Goodstein was seriously injured after jumping from the first floor to escape the blaze, and all victims were rescued from marshy terrain by emergency crews using kayaks.

 

 

Flames tore through the luxurious waterfront estate of Circuit Court Judge Diana Goodstein and her husband, former state Senator Arnold Goodstein, in a harrowing blaze that left three people injured and the sprawling home reduced to smoldering ruins.

The fire erupted around midday Saturday at the couple’s four-bedroom, four-bathroom residence nestled in the exclusive Jeremy Cay gated community. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky as neighbors and emergency responders scrambled to save those trapped inside.

Arnold Goodstein, a Democrat who represented Charleston County in the South Carolina Senate and House during the 1970s, made a desperate leap from the home’s first floor to escape the inferno.

“He broke multiple bones in his hips, legs, and feet when he jumped,” a family source said. Emergency crews airlifted him to the Medical University of South Carolina for immediate treatment.

Two other occupants, whose identities have not yet been released, were also rescued from the remote marshland behind the home.

Because the property sits on a stretch of marshy terrain, rescuers used kayaks to reach the trio, ferrying them to waiting ambulances. All three were transported to the hospital, but their current conditions remain undisclosed.

 

 

Judge Diana Goodstein, 69, was not home when the fire broke out. She had been walking her dogs along the nearby beach and was alerted to the disaster by neighbors.

“I saw the smoke from the shore and immediately called 911,” said local resident Tom Peterson. “It was terrifying to see the flames climbing so high, especially knowing people were inside.

The Goodsteins’ home, perched on the edge of Edisto Island’s pristine waterfront, was fully engulfed within minutes.

Firefighters from St. Paul’s Fire District and Colleton County arrived swiftly but were forced to fight the blaze from a distance due to the surrounding marshlands. Despite their efforts, the three-story home was gutted, leaving nothing but charred remains.

“I can’t believe this happened here in our community,” Peterson added. “They’re such a respected family. It’s just heartbreaking.”

Diana Goodstein, a fixture of South Carolina’s judiciary since her first appointment in 1998, has been widely praised for her fairness and dedication.

Her husband Arnold, who also ran a prominent home-building business before it shuttered amid bankruptcy in 2008, is known for his lengthy public service career and commitment to Charleston’s growth.

The couple share two children, Arnold Samuel Goodstein II and Eve Schafer Goodstein.