Burbank, Calif. — Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue teams were called to the new IKEA store in Burbank, Calif. early Sunday morning in response to a call of a missing married couple.

After an exhausting search lasting over eight hours, Frank Vandenberg and his wife Joanna were found in the far reaches of the 500,000-square-foot store.

“We’re just glad that we were able to locate them in time,” said Capt. Dave Branding, a 24-year-veteran of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, who coordinated the search-and-rescue effort on Sunday. “Many times, in situations like the one we experienced today, we can’t get to them — IKEA is a large facility, and it’s definitely a situation that overwhelms even the most thorough of rescue efforts.”

LA County Search and Rescue members being airlifted on scene Sunday morning.

Frank and Joanna Vandenberg were reported missing early Sunday morning once their daughter Kiara realized that her parents had not yet returned from the grand opening of the massive new IKEA branch — the largest in the nation.

“I was worried,” said Kiara, “it’s not like my parents to be super late like that. Sometimes they spend a few hours at Fry’s [Electronics] or the local dive bar, but for them to leave me home-alone like that for a few days… I assumed something was up.”

The married couple attended the opening of the IKEA facility Wednesday morning, wishing to be one of the first 26 customers to explore the uncharted store grounds in hopes of winning a free Landskrona sofa.

Their plans quickly went south after they became disoriented with the layout of the store.

“I didn’t bring my compass,” stated Frank, “I’m a long-time veteran of large department stores, but this was something else.”

The two-story Burbank IKEA facility spans 500,000 square feet, which includes over 1,700 parking spaces and a massive, open-plan 600 seat restaurant on the second floor.

With the husband Frank refusing to stop and ask for directions, the couple was forced to spend the night in one of the 50 individual room pods, which come fully furnished for browsing customers.

“We had to nestle away in one of the BRUSALI bedroom pods,” said Joanna, “I mean, I’m not one to complain usually, but really? The beige colored nightstand looked completely out of place with the light-blue curtains. I couldn’t even get any sleep that night.”

The duo went without food and water throughout the entire ordeal, as the lines encompassing the food court extended for hundreds of people, sometimes taking up to 45 minutes or more for them to even move within viewing distance of the menu.

Los Angeles County Search and Rescue members finally found the malnourished couple huddled inside one of the UNDREDAL series bedroom pods, near the rear of the store. The couple cited the “really, really comfortable LATRAND latex mattress” as well as the “incredible carpeting” as reasoning for staying put inside the pod.

“Frank and Joanna are safe,” stated Capt. Dave Branding, “they were taken to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center as a precaution, but they’re OK.”

While addressing reporters on the details of the case, Capt. Branding issued some words of wisdom for future IKEA costumers. “Please, make sure to bring extra water and foods items,” stated Branding, “if you can, please bring a personal locator beacon or some form of GPS tracking system to aid in potential rescue efforts. This store is enormous.”