A suspicious device discovered at a Valley Transportation Authority light rail station in Campbell on Tuesday prompted a series of evacuations, authorities said.

At 1:48 p.m., the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said the suspicious device turned out to be a geocache, a container used in GPS-based treasure hunt games.

Earlier, the Campbell Police Department said on social media at 11:10 a.m. that officers were working with sheriff's deputies on what it called an active incident on the light rail tracks near Winchester Boulevard. Just before noon, the Sheriff's Office said a suspicious package was at the Winchester VTA light rail station, and the station had been evacuated out of an abundance of caution.

The Sheriff's Office said nearby schools and businesses were also evacuated.

Once it was determined that the suspicious device was a geocache, the evacuations were lifted, while roads in the area and the Winchester Station were reopened, the office said.

In a statement, the VTA said a maintenance worker found the device, which resembles a pipe bomb, and immediately reported it to the authorities. 

"This incident highlights the very real consequences of placing objects like this in public transportation areas," Aston Greene, VTA systems safety and security chief said in a statement. "What may seem like harmless fun, can activate large-scale emergency responses, disrupt transit services, and create unnecessary fear and anxiety for the public."

The VTA noted that geocaching guidelines require permission from property owners; otherwise, placing a geocache on public or private property may be considered trespassing. The agency added that it did not provide permission for this object to be placed at the Winchester Station.