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33 Migrants Rescued Off Boca Raton Coast

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BOCA RATON (CBSMiami) – 33 migrants were found floating off the coast of Boca Raton on Wednesday and they were actually spotted during a search for two rafters who have been missing since Monday.

Experts tell CBS4 that not since the crisis of 1994 has South Florida seen so many Cuban migrants.

This year alone the Coast Guard has spotted more than 3,700 Cubans, and that's double the number intercepted in 2012.

Desperation at sea, captured on a Coast Guard camera from a helicopter flying above.

CLICK HERE to watch Summer Knowles' report

It appears to be an improvised catamaran with several children and a couple of adults on the pontoons.

Adults and children in the water Wednesday afternoon, seven miles from shore.

Some inside a homemade boat that was taking on water, with others seen treading water clinging to a loosely constructed catamaran.

All 33 migrants were rescued only to have to return to the island nation they risked their lives to escape.

And this rescue comes just a day after 13 Cuban rafters tried to reach Miami in a raft that broke apart near Eliott Key.

11 of them were rescued or made it safely to land, among them one man who swam to shore and was reunited with his father.

This group spotted on Wednesday was only found because the Coast Guard was out searching for two missing rafters from Monday.

Experts say Raul Castro came to power in 2008 and that his reform isn't working causing yet another wave of Cubans to flee.

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