The Sonko Rescue Team clashed with Kenya Navy forces on Saturday over who should receive credit for recovering the chopper that crashed in Lake Nakuru.
The teams engaged in an argument for about two hours after rumours circulated that one team had taken all the credit for the rescue.
Sources said Sonko Rescue Team divers refused to assist the navy in lifting the wreckage out of the waters until they were recognised.
A Kenya Police helicopter pulled out the chopper within 10 minutes on Sunday, ending the month-long search.
Captain Musa Juma leading the group from Mombasa accused the navy of backstabbing them yet they arrived at the scene days after the rescue had intensified.
Juma said the Navy forces had arrived at the scene earlier than usual so that they would look like they were the ones who did most of the work.
“We have been coming here early in the morning before them but we are surprised to see today they want to take control of everything after we have discovered the wreckage," he said.
The agitated Juma said his team has been working for the last 29 days and endured a lot of challenges.
He said just as the consolidated efforts with the Navy to find the wreckage, they should also celebrate the achievement as a team.
The helicopter that crashed 29 days ago with five occupants was found on Friday.
But National Disaster Management Unit director Charles Owino said the wreckage could not lifted from the lake as there was no aircraft to assist in the task.
Owino said the Buffalo was the only helicopter with the capacity to lift the wreckage and had contacted relevant authorities to get one from the armed forces.
He said out of the five occupants that drowned with the chopper, three bodies had been retrieved while efforts are ongoing to find the remaining two.
He said it was likely the bodies will not be found in a good condition as Lake Nakuru is saline.
The chopper owned and operated by Flex Air Charters crashed on October 21 just a few minutes after taking off from Jarika Hotel.
Those on board have since been identified as Pilot Apollo Malowa, Sam Gitau, Anthony Kiyegon, Veronica Muthoni and John Mapozi.
Last Friday, the Sonko rescue team retrieved Muthoni's body, which was taken to Umash funeral home. Malowa was buried on November 2.
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