High-Tech Scavenger Hunt Prompts Evacuation

Game's over when the bomb squad comes

It's all fun and games until someone makes a fake bomb, then puts it near a school.

An object in a high-tech scavenger hunt drew the attention of a bomb squad and caused the evacuation of a Vacaville elementary school this weekend.

Jean Callison Elementary School on Vanden Road and a few nearby homes were evacuated for two hours after a student found something that looked like a pipe bomb in the front parking lot at 11:45 a.m.  Because it wasn't a school day, students weren't impacted.

Police said the object was a marker in an online scavenger hunt called geocaching, but for some reason it was made to look like a pipe bomb.

Geocaching players use GPS devices to search for hidden containers called geocaches and record their finds online.

Whoever made the object wasn't exactly following the rules. According to geocaching.com, geocaches should not be placed near public structures that are considered possible targets of terrorist attacks, including elementary schools.

Looks like no one will ever be able to claim finding this geocache. An explosive disposal team from Travis Air Force base detonated the object at 12:30 p.m.

Check out this video to learn more about geocaching:

Contact Us